ESTONIAN PIANO ORCHESTRA

PIANISTS:

Lauri Väinmaa (2016/2017 replaced by Kristi Kapten)

Piret Väinmaa

Johan RandvereMargus Riimaa

Mati Mikalai

Kai Ratassepp

Piret Habak

Reet Kopvillem-Ruubel

Lauri
Väinmaa (
In 2016/2017, Lauri Väinmaa is replaced by Kristi Kapten )studied
with Mikhail Pletnev and Lev Vlasenko at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory
in Moscow, with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in
London and with Bruno Lukk at the Tallinn Conservatory. Lauri Väinmaa
is a prize-winner of several international competitions,
he has given recitals and appeared with the orchestras in many
European countries, as U.K., Germany, Holland, Sweden, Finland etc.
He has recorded 4 CDs featuring Estonian music for Warner Classics
(Finlandia Records). Väinmaa´s repertoire ranges from Bach through
classical and romantic composers to Ligeti and Schnittke. It includes
all sonatas and concertos by Beethoven (performed as cycles),
complete piano music by the 2nd Viennese School, Arvo Pärt and
Alfred Schnittke. Väinmaa teaches at the Estonian Academy of Music
and Theatre. Väinmaa's students have won prizes in the national and
international competitions. He has given numerous masterclasses in
the U.K., Italy, Holland and Finland. He has served as a jury member
in several international competitions. Väinmaa is the Artistic
Director of the biannual International Pianists´Festival KLAVER in
Tallinn, Estonia.

The
duo Piret
Väinmaa – Lauri Väinmaa has
been performing together since 2001. The duo has established a close
working relationship with the composer Urmas Sisask who has dedicated
them his 30-pieces cycle "The Starry sky of Ancient Estonians"
for 2 pianos.

Kristi
Kapten

has studied in Tallinn Music High School and Estonian Academy
of Music and Theatre and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (MA). Since
2013, Kristi has started doctoral studies at the Estonian Academy of
Music and Theatre with prof Peep Lassmann. She has performed as a
soloist in Estonia, UK, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, China and
performed in numerous festivals, among them Tallinn Piano Festival,
Edinburgh International Festival, West End Festival, etc. Kristi
Kapten has performed in several competitions as a soloist and chamber
musician. In 2011, Kristi Kapten won 1st
prize in the Tallinn International Piano Competition and a
scholarship of Lilian Semper Foundation.

Piret
Väinmaa

studied at the Estonian Academy of Music with Bruno
Lukk, Lauri Väinmaa, Lilian Semper and Ivari Ilja. She has
performed as a soloist and a chamber musician in the UK, Germany,
Finland, Latvia and Estonia and appeared as a soloist with the
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. Piret Väinmaa has written
articles for different music journals in Estonia. She teaches
solo piano, chamber music and collaborative piano in the Tallinn Georg Ots Music School. http://piretvainmaa.com/

Margus Riimaa

He has graduated from the Tallinn Music High School, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, University of
Music in Cologne and Carnegie Mellon University Piano Performance
Masters program in the US. His most influential teachers have been Heli Rooma, Lauri
Väinmaa and Arbo Valdma. Margus Riimaa has performed in big
concert halls, like “Estonia” Concert Hall, Avery Fisher Hall
(NY) and Carnegie Hall (NY). Margus has given a multitude concerts in local gymnasiums, churches and cultural centres
all over Estonia. Since 2014, Margus works in
the “Vanemuine” theatre as a coach and performs often together with talented Estonian singers.

Johan Randvere

has
graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and
continues his studies in the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milano.
Randvere has participated in numerous competitions in Estonia and
abroad: Estonian
National Pianists competition 2008 (finalist, diploma), 10th
EPTA
(European Piano Teachers Association)
competition in Waterloo, Belgum 2010
(II prize), Competition for musicans in Catania 2012 ( I prize
and a Grand Prix ), Competition “Luciano Luciani” in Italy, ( III
place), Competition “Coop” in Italy (II prize ). Randvere has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Belarus, Sweden, Germany and
Finland. In 2013, Randvere was
among the finalists in Estonian Public Broadcasting Company´s
competition programme “Classical Stars”.

Mati
Mikalai

studied with Lembit Orgse, Bruno Lukk, Lauri Väinmaa and
Peep Lassmann at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre . He
received the 1st prize at the Estonian National Piano
Competition and the 3rd prize at the International Piano
Competition in Kil in Sweden in 1994. He has performed in France,
Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia as a soloist and with different
chamber music groups. Mikalai teaches at the Estonian Academy of
Music and Theatre and in the Tallinn Music High School.

Kai
Ratassepp

studied with Lilian Semper ja Peep Lassmann at the
Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She has won prizes in several
national and international competitions. She has performed in France,
Sweden, Finland, Russia and Estonia as a soloist and with different
chamber music groups. Ratassepp teaches at the Estonian Academy of
Music and Theatre and in the Tallinn Music High School.

As
a duo, Ratassepp and Mikalai have been playing together since
1998. They have received the 1st prize at the prestigious
International ARD music Competition in Germany and the 2nd
Prizes at the International Competitions in Kaunas, Lithuania and in
Padua, Italy. The duo has given recitals and performed with the
orchestras in Germany, Italy, France, Russia and Estonia. They have
recorded for different radio stations in Germany (Bayerischen
Rundfunk, DeutschlandRadio Berlin). The duo's repertoire reaches
from Mozart to contemporary composers with a special emphasis on the
works by the Estonian composers.

Piret
Habak

studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Toivo Nahkur
(solo piano) and Nata-Ly Sakkos (piano duo). She has performed with
different chamber music groups in Japan, Canada, Italy, Turkey,
Sweden and elsewhere. Besides performing Habak teaches solo piano,
piano ensemble and collaborative piano in the Tallinn Music High
School.

Reet
Kopvillem-Ruubel

studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and
Theatre with Kalle Randalu (solo piano) and Nata-ly Sakkos (piano
duo). She has played with different chamber music groups in Germany,
France, Rumenia and elsewhere. Kopvillem-Ruubel teaches piano and
chamber music in the Tallinn Music High School. The
duo Habak – Kopvillem-Ruubel has been playing together since
1986. They have participated in the festivals in Germany, Russia,
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Their repertoire ranges from Bach to
contemporary Estonian composers.